OSTERIA FASULO Reservations: 530.758.1324    NEWS AND NOTES The Dining Divas of Sacramento Magazine's October 2005 Edition rave about Osteria Fasulo. If you haven't read the story, here it is: SACRAMENTO MAGAZINE Osteria Fasulo You don’t need a passport to dine at this Italian restaurant in Davis By Gloria Glyer At Osteria Fasulo, the insalata della casa is more than just a house salad. It arrives in a presentation basket—called a frico—made of Parmesan. With that kind of flourish, the Dining Diva lunchers had a clue as to what to anticipate at this establishment, located a bit west of downtown Davis. An osteria is a family-run restaurant. Here, owners Leonardo and Mina Fasulo seek to present the foods, flavors and feel of Italia. And according to the members of our group who recently have traveled in Italy, they succeed. We sat outdoors beneath shade trees, a casual spot to enjoy Osteria Fasulo’s elegant food. Server Ali Lera, a UC Davis graduate, took our wine order. Diva Bernice Hagen decided on an Italian sparkler, Prosecco Ruggen Valdobbiave NV, followed by a Pinot Grigio/Sauvignon blend by Bartani. Hagen called the Prosecco a “fun wine—very light, sparkling. It was very good for a light lunch.” From the menu, we ordered animelle al formaggio tratufato e miele (sweetbreads with truffled cheese and honey); carpaccio alla Leonardo (thinly sliced filet mignon stuffed with Maine lobster); panino di verdure grigliate (grilled-vegetable sandwich); cannelloni alla pescatora (housemade pasta filled with seafood); scaloppine di pollo (sautéed chicken with tomato sauce), plus the daily specials: potato gnocchi with truffled butter sauce; ahi, served on a bed of braised fennel; heirloom-tomato salad with mozzarella and basil; and white-bean soup with truffle oil. Not being a devotee of sweetbreads, I always take a bite and listen to other comments to find out if I should be thrilled or not. I needed no help with Osteria Fasulo’s version. The generous serving of sweetbreads, which had been deep-fried and topped with a sprinkling of fried leeks, was innovative and satisfying. It was a warm day, but the white-bean soup was flavorful and attractive, with swirls of truffle oil giving the soup dimension and color contrast. Gnocchi, which is as much fun to say as to devour, has as many interpretations as there are Italian cooks. Don’t miss the ones at Fasulo. The potato dumplings had been handled with care and, I suspect, with little kneading, and were delicately fried and dressed with browned truffle butter. Light as air? Just about, which is a challenge given the dish’s heavy ingredients. Cannelloni, filled with seafood and topped with béchamel sauce, arrived in a gratin dish and sported a slightly crusty topping. This would be good with the house salad. The chicken scaloppini was tender but was served with slightly more tomato sauce than necessary. I would have swirled a crust of bread in the sauce, but there was none. Did we miss it? Or is bread not served at lunch? Fennel, which makes its way into many of the dishes here, almost became the star when served with the ahi. Small chunks of sautéed fennel added crunch and flavor that enhanced the mild fish. The perfectly prepared ahi was finished with lemon juice and olive oil—a simple dish, really, when you look at the ingredients. That is how all of the food appeared to us: nothing overpowering, just the right amount of an unexpected ingredient to make a mild dish sing. And this was even before the desserts, which are made in-house. The chocolate crème brûlée topped with caramelized bananas was perfect—too good, in fact, to share. We also ordered the housemade crêpes filled with berries and lemon cream—another winner. The tiramisu was just all right, but the fresh strawberries were refreshing. Adam Walsworth reigns as executive chef, with Mike Redfearn as assistant chef. Both are self-trained; you get the feeling they are always learning and are appreciative of comments. Owner Leonardo Fasulo helped bus our table when our server was busy. The place is informal, so it seemed all right to fill our own water and wine glasses, but it would have been better to have someone else on hand. The Divas Speak The Divas gave enthusiastic reviews to the gnocchi, sweetbreads, tomato salad, cannelloni and chocolate crème brûlée. Paulette Bruce-Miller especially enjoyed the setting, commenting: “This is how outdoor dining should be: peaceful and shared with good people. No one wanted to leave. About the food, nothing was too heavy, allowing the true flavor of the food to come through.” FOR THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, PICK UP A COPY OF SACRAMENTO MAGAZINE'S OCTOBER ISSUE. ____________________________ Osteria Fasulo was also prominently featured in the Premiere Fall 2005 Issue of Luxury Living Magazine. We will be publishing a copy of that outstanding review by food writer and critic, Jim Pelley, as soon as possible. _____________________________ October 2005 — For Immediate Release IL POSTO — CASTING CALL BY FASULO, INC., We’re opening IL POSTO (Italian for “The Place”) our newest stunning restaurant in downtown Sacramento. The Fasulos are recruiting an enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking cast to fill server and busser positions to complete the talented team we've assembled! To be considered, candidates must have a minimum of three years fine dining experience. And of course, strong knowledge of fine Italian food & wine are definitely a plus! Please fax cover letter and resume to 916.393.4799 or email Mr. and Mrs. Leonardo Fasulo at papafasulo@comcast.net. To read more about our newest Italian restaurant, scroll below to NEWS NEWS NEWS! _______________________ Summer 2005 — For Immediate Release NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS SACRAMENTO — Many of our Osteria Fasulo guests have asked us when we're coming to Sacramento. We're delighted to finally announce that we're opening our newest restaurant "IL POSTO" (Italian for "THE PLACE") this October in downtown Sacramento — only a hop, skip and a jump away from the State Capitol. We'll be introducing to our Sacramento friends something that our Davis neighbors have known since we opened Osteria Fasulo in Davis in 2003 — we're the place where you'll find a truly authentic and inventive Italian menu because Leonardo Fasulo attends to every detail in the execution of every dish when he develops the menu each season. IL POSTO — like Osteria Fasulo — will be the kind of place where we simplify — without compromise — haute cuisine because we want to make sure that our guests appreciate the freshness of each of our dishes and where we understand that a meal is only as good as its raw ingredients. We'll be introducing that concept at IL POSTO this Fall. Our food is not an art that consists of dressing up the dish to the point where it is unrecognizable but an art whose design is to reflect the truth and simplicity of each dish. Simply Italian! May 2005 — For Immediate Release SACRAMENTO — Osteria Fasulo made a guest appearance on KCRA, Channel 3 (local NBC affiliate) where Chef Adam Walsworth and owner Leonardo Fasulo prepared one of the restaurant's popular signature dishes. Guests at the live taping enjoyed a taste of Osteria Fasulo. April 10, 2005 — For Immediate Release SACRAMENTO — Today Osteria Fasulo served as 'host' to UPN 31's popular Sunday Brunch show. Executive chef, Adam Walsworth and assistant chef, Mike Redfearn joined Channel 31's morning news crew to 'cook brunch for a Davis family' who could identify the show's password. The lucky family who said "Prosciutto di Parma" won a special home cooked brunch, prepared right in the comfort of their own home by Osteria Fasulo's chef's Walsworth and Redfearn. The newsroom raved that it was one of their best shows yet. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian brunch was prepared for the two Davis families which included lobster and prawns omelettes, crepes and their famous house salad. February 8, 2005 — For Immediate Release SACRAMENTO — Osteria Fasulo owner, Leonardo Fasulo and his executive chef, Adam Walsworth were invited today to join the KXTV-10, ABC affiliate station for a "San Valentino" cooking demonstration in preparation for the romance of February 14th. Chef Walsworth conducted a LIVE cooking demonstration during Channel 10's popular 12 noon lunch segment while Fasulo shared the highlights of the San Valentino menu with anchor, Dan Elliot. Walsworth prepared the restaurant's traditional scampi dish for the hosts. Fasulo shared the scampi recipe with viewers and took the opportunity to announce that the restaurant was now open for lunch! _____________________________________ November 16, 2004 — For Immediate Release SACRAMENTO — Our celebrity Executive Chef, Adam Walsworth appeared today on "Good Morning Sacramento's" UPN-31 TV cooking segment to demonstrate for viewers how to prepare Cioppino della Casa — a popular dish served at Osteria Fasulo in Davis. "I always prepare this dish, like all the dishes we serve at Osteria Fasulo, using only the best and finest ingredients I can find — this dish is no different. Everyone loves Cioppino, it's a traditional Italian seafood stew that I make using only the freshest lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp and fish of the day," said Chef Walsworth. Walsworth was right, after his on-air demonstration the TV news anchors and crew enjoyed the "best Cioppino they'd ever tasted." The UPN-Channel 31 TV program aired as part of Leonardo Fasulo and Osteria Fasulo's support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. ______________________ Osteria Fasulo has just introduced it's new Lunch and Dinner Menu. The menu is delightful and delicious. Our guests are raving about the delicious new dishes we've put on the menu to welcome in the new season. And don't forget, reservations are strongly encouraged so that you get to join us when you're in the mood for a visit to Italy and a true dining experience. ______________________________ (Sacramento) Winter, 2003 — Osteria Fasulo gets its' first great restaurant review (after only being opened three months) by Sacramento Bee's restaurant critic, Mike Dunne. ___________________ Leonardo's Masterpiece At Osteria Fasulo, a small space in Davis comes alive By Mike Dunne Bee Restaurant Critic DINING — A decade ago, Leonardo Fasulo was managing the suave Italian restaurant Donatello in San Francisco. Then his wife, Mina, became communications director for the California School Board Association in West Sacramento. As she commuted from their home in the Bay Area, Fasulo became a stay-at-home dad, at first rearing their four sons in the Bay Area, and since 1998 in Elk Grove. Then last summer, Fasulo got the itch to return to restaurateuring. In looking at potential sites for his own place, he fell in love with the odd suburban cottage that for years housed the highly regarded Plumshire Inn on the western outskirts of Davis. The smallness of the building, the adjoining patio and the isolation all appealed to his memories of the homey, remote, family-run osterias of his native Piedmont in northern Italy. He recruited as his executive chef Adam Walsworth, formerly of Headquarter House in Auburn and Cascades in Roseville, and in mid-October they opened Osteria Fasulo. Fasulo's passion for family and his heritage is evident as soon as guests walk in. One entire wall is given over to his family tree, dating to 1655. It's surrounded by a gallery of classic family photos, each framed and displayed affectionately. The message: Tradition is being rekindled here, with the hope that Osteria Fasulo will encourage the sort of spontaneous and convivial mood typical of the rural osterias and trattorias of Italy. It's working, to judge by the easy rapport between servers and their customers, the one or two large parties generally in the place, and Fasulo's hovering solicitousness. The bold red color scheme of the place, right down to the plaid carpeting, also does exactly what red is supposed to do in a restaurant - stimulate conversation and raise passions. (The refreshing red-tinted complimentary drink that greets guests, a rosy blend of the sparkling Italian wine prosecco and strawberry puree, also works to that effect.) The red is dramatic on the walls and more subtle and sensuous in the collections of Italian glass here and there, but it's most vivid in Fasulo's own version of that other Leonardo's masterpiece, "The Last Supper." Fasulo's interpretation runs to a stark white, Picasso-inspired cubist outline against a red background of brush strokes that look like individual pieces of tile intricately pieced together. The extensive and varied Osteria Fasulo menu is rigidly Italian, and while the tone is modern and inventive, the impact hues to the country's tradition of rich, lively, warmly saturating dishes. They're presented simply, without pretense, but their detailing invites lingering study. The menu is divided into appetizers, salads, soups, "i primi" (first courses), "i secondi" (second courses) and "dolci" (desserts). Other than the entree-style second courses, portions tend to be small and could surprise diners who expect helpings to be fairly substantial when they are paying $7 to $16 for starters. Servers, however, were careful to alert guests of this departure from the usual. By and large, Walsworth's cooking is assured and invigorating, with flavors direct and combinations smart. Virtually every dish highlighted one prime ingredient, but backup players were treated respectfully, their support clearly crucial to the overall success of each course. I blanched at an appetizer of grilled polenta with gorgonzola and asparagus, fearing the midwinter spear would be bland and woody, but it brought a surprising ray of bright spring sunshine to the warm and creamy polenta ($7). Roasted tomatoes and fresh basil similarly perked up crepes oozing with warm mozzarella ($8); the earthiness of wonderfully fat and buttery mushrooms drizzled with aioli contrasted fittingly with their crisp bed of grated and fried potato ($8); and lobster, scallops and cream sauce all brought varying degrees of sweetness to a first-course lasagna ($16). Two salads yielded mixed results. Red and yellow sliced beefsteak tomatoes were bland but for the fresh, flavorful anchovies draped across them ($8), while lightly dressed, carefully handled greens arrived in a wonderfully robust cup of molded frico, or fried Parmigiano cheese ($7). Aside from sauteed chicken cutlets whose side of asparagus suffered from too much salt ($17), main courses were first-rate. A monumental grilled veal chop topped with thin slices of buttery foie gras and a dice of black truffles - a dish more representative of a ristorante than an osteria - was especially memorable, with the meat juicy and flavorful, its side of arugula adding welcome spice to the composition ($33). A deftly roasted filet of sea bass was dramatically thick, freshly flavored and sweet, its white-bean ragout enlivened with a distinct herbal flavor I suspect was basil ($21). The hearty and moist red meat of a roasted lamb shank was another forthright winner, draped with a red-wine sauce and accompanied with roasted garlic potatoes ($21). Compared with the rest of the meal, desserts were relatively low-key, lacking the overall impact of their forerunners. The panna cotta - a baked Italian white custard - was pleasant, delicate and smooth, and the serving was so small no one need fret about consuming many calories ($6). A small serving of thin-sliced strawberries would have been more impressive had the "30-year-old" balsamic vinegar with which they were splashed been more intense ($8). The two hits were sturdy cannoli filled with a satiny chocolate cream ($6), and soft, eggy crepes layered with an almond-flavored cream and sprinkled with crumbled amaretti cookies ($7). They make a fine espresso at Osteria Fasulo, and the vin santo from the brief but careful selection of dessert wines also would make a fitting companion for any of the desserts. The largely Italian wine list is attractively priced and fitting in variety, power and weight for the strength of the food, and some intriguing California, Oregon and French selections also are available. Servers were intelligent, diligent and friendly, but occasionally slipped up in the pacing of the meals. Osteria Fasulo isn't far from the Mondavi Center, but getting there requires an unusual route: Take I-80 west to Davis, then proceed north on Highway 113 toward Woodland. Take the Russell Boulevard exit and turn left over the freeway. Stay in the left lane, remaining on Russell Boulevard to the left as the road splits. Proceed down a tree-bordered lane to Portage Bay East. Turn right and watch for signs of the restaurant on the right. * * * The Bee's Mike Dunne can be reached at (916) 321-1143 or mdunne@sacbee.com. Osteria Fasulo 2657 Portage Bay East, Davis (530) 758-1324 Three Stars / $$$-$$$$ FOOD: While Osteria Fasulo's style of Italian cooking is modern and inventive, it doesn't sacrifice the genre's traditionally warm and comforting embrace. AMBIENCE: Leonardo Fasulo's art, Florentine mirrors and Italian glass transform small, isolated quarters into an osteria of unusual class and charm. HITS: The refreshing complimentary glasses of fizzy prosecco and strawberry puree that greet guests. The natural rapport between clientele and staff. The proud, cohesive design. MISSES: Though the largely Italian wine selection is interesting and in perfect pitch with the food, unflattering stemware, the stiff $20 corkage fee and numerous misspellings on the list needlessly undermine professional wine service. Occasionally erratic pacing of the service. HOURS: Dinner only, 5:30-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. ____________________________ UP FRONT COLUMN by Mina Fasulo Winter issue published in California Schools Magazine "La Vita e Bella (Life is beautiful) — A story about a mom, a dad, four boys ... and a girl?!!" Leonardo and I welcomed a new baby to our family this year. A baby girl. “After fifteen years of marriage and four boys, we finally have a girl,” Leonardo joked with me recently, as we stood in the kitchen of our new Italian restaurant. We named her Osteria Fasulo. (‘Osteria’ isn’t actually a girl’s name but it is Italian for upscale and intimate — as in restaurant). “You’re right! We finally have our baby girl! And, we didn’t even have to wait nine months for her to arrive — and best of all, no changing diapers and no late night feedings,” I joked back. “Nope, none of that. But like a baby, we have to care, feed and love her so that she grows up to be beautiful inside and out,” Leonardo said. And just like a baby, we soon discovered, she doesn’t come with a step-by-step manual on how to deal with the big stuff, the small stuff and all the stuff in between of opening a restaurant. I learned right away that opening a restaurant can be a very intimidating experience, especially for someone like me who’s never been in the business before. My background has always been in politics, education and public relations — not restaurants. Lucky for us though, the restaurant business runs through Leonardo’s veins. It’s in his blood and his soul. He knows what true success at a restaurant looks like because unlike me, he spent more than 25 years in the business, traveling the world from Switzerland and England, to Egypt, Singapore, Morocco and Tahiti, to Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Restaurants were just a part of his life — that is — until he made a brave life-altering career shift ten years ago. Leonardo became a stay at home dad. He gave up his dog-eat-dog, high-profile life in the San Francisco restaurant scene to be home with our boys — full-time. Something that, ten years ago, was still relatively uncommon and unheard of. In fact, stay at home dads were, dare I say, a concept not yet completely understood or embraced by society. He did it anyway. He put us first, tucked his pride away, held his head up high and stayed home to take care of our family. My career was on a fast track like his, but he stepped aside and pushed me up that ladder. And we never looked back. Sure, we had our share of bumps, bruises and minor collisions along the way. And there were even times when our roads were heading in separate directions, but we always seemed to find our way again — right back to each other. Especially when it came to the things that mattered most to us — our kids, our happiness and one another. But I also knew there was something still missing in his life. He had, after all, put his entire professional career on hold for us. Looking back, that was a lot to ask of him — because it’s really no secret — our career plays a significant role in who we become, how we are shaped, the relationships we make and how we make a difference in the world. But most of all, our career allows us to grow and flourish and find meaning and have pride in ourselves and our work. It completes us. But Leonardo gave up that part of himself when he became a stay at home dad. And although Leonardo was an amazing stay at home dad — he needed more than just that in his life — he needed to feel complete because professionally, he had stopped growing and flourishing. So when he told me about the restaurant he had found, there was something in his voice that told me — this was it. After all of those years of us dreaming about opening our own restaurant, I knew this was going to be his year. His time. His turn. “Mommy," (he always calls me mommy because it's what our boys call me), "I think I’ve finally found the perfect place for us. You’re going to love it,” Leonardo told me last May. “Really?” “Yes, it is the perfect place for us. It was formerly a French-American restaurant. The setting is very European with an outside patio, a garden and vineyards. It’s what we’ve always dreamed of owning. It’s just perfect.” “It sounds too good to be true.” “Honest, it’s true. You will fall in love with this place. I promise.” He was right. By the end of summer, we were in escrow and making plans. Grand plans. After all of the interviews, paperwork, business licenses, meetings and more paperwork — we closed escrow in September and became the proud parents (owners) of a restaurant. We had officially joined the more than 12 million other people in the United States working in the restaurant industry. And we had two months to pull it off. According to Leonardo’s grand plan, we had 60 days to get our baby girl ready. Between juggling my responsibilities at CSBA — and the fact that we were right in the middle of the worst State Budget crisis California had ever seen, the Recall election and gearing up for the upcoming $13 billion School Facilities Bond campaign — Leonardo and I were now sharing carpool duty of our boys and dealing with the weight of opening a restaurant together. We were sharing in many other duties as well. I quickly adapted and learned to do things I never had to worry about before. I learned how to cook, clean and carpool in a matter of weeks — okay it was more like months. But I learned. And every free moment I had away from the office, I’d spend with the kids at the restaurant because we had so much to get done in less than 60 days. Leonardo was in charge of everything except the interior decorating and design, he left that role to me. Which I happily accepted. “It really needs a woman’s touch — and warmth,” he told me. We spent weekends interviewing staff, in between hanging silk drapes, black and white family photographs and his Picasso-like oil paintings. Picking out menu covers, linens and silverware. Meeting and talking with our graphic designer — late into the evenings — to go over every detail of our business cards, announcements and dinner, wine and dessert menus. There was so much to be done. We taste-tested menu selections nightly (for weeks) with our chefs. And Leonardo took great care to personally manage, direct and guide everything (from each dish that would be outstanding enough to make it on the menu) to every last and final detail. He did it all and didn't need anyone to advise or guide him because this was HIS baby — it was his vision and he knew exactly what he wanted and the way Osteria Fasulo was going to run. This was his dream and he knew what it was going to take. But that wasn't all — because he continued to juggle his stay at home dad responsibilities, while getting things in order to ensure that everything would be perfect. And when opening night finally arrived, that’s exactly what it was. Perfect! On October 15, 2003, we officially opened our doors for dinner. We were completely booked, as we hosted a full house of guests. It was a very humbling and incredibly rewarding night — on so many levels. At one point in the evening, the entire restaurant was packed. I stood back and I watched my husband work his magic. He was in his element. This was where he belonged. I was so proud of him. He worked the room like a charm. He went from table to table, spending time welcoming and getting to know each and every one of our guests. And as I watched him, I thought about how happy he looked. I hadn’t seen him that happy in a long time. It hit me suddenly, he really had given up so much of himself and for so long, to be home with our boys. I’m not sure I could’ve made the same sacrifices and commitment that he had made to us for 10 years. It wasn’t until that very moment that I finally understood what he meant — all of the times — when he use to say, “I miss the people, the feeling, the sense of meaning, I miss it”. I never fully understood what he meant by that — until that night. He turned to look for me in the crowded room and when he met my eyes, he smiled and motioned for me to come over to the table. “Vieni qua, amore mio,” he called to me in his sweet Italian accent. (“Come over here, my love.”) “Yes darling?” I asked. “I want you to meet my lovely wife. This is Mina, my amore,” he said to our guests. “She deserves all the credit. She’s behind all of this. She made this happen.” Leonardo and I both knew that he was the reason it happened. He deserves all the credit. I never stopped believing in him — that’s what I take credit for — I always knew that he would make it happen. And when he did, he'd be spectacular! Looking across our restaurant that evening, listening to the buzz of lively conversation and laughter, the clinking of wine glasses and silverware against the plates, and the generous compliments from guests praising the exciting dishes coming out from the kitchen – I knew he had made it. He did it! But what does this all have to do with my work at the California School Boards Association? Quite a bit. I know that I’ve been able to do my job effectively and do it with the passion, drive and commitment that I bring every day into our offices because of Leonardo. Every day that I’d leave for work or board an airplane for business, I never once had to worry about the kids, the carpooling, the cleaning, the cooking. He did that. He changed the diapers, did the laundry and took care of the dry-cleaning, the pediatrician and dental visits, he managed the bills and our properties — and he would still find time to surprise me with silly little gifts, just so I’d know he was thinking of me. He gave me peace of mind and allowed me to concentrate exclusively on my demanding and often times, challenging job of working with more than 1,000 school districts in California. He never stopped believing in me, always pushing me to succeed and supporting me to that next step, even if often times it meant another year of him staying home with our babies. Another year of him being Mr. Mom. It was a rare price for him to pay but because of it, our babies grew up (over those years) into loving, secure and incredible young gentlemen. I owe so much of that to Leonardo. Because of him, I was able to spread my wings and soar at CSBA. We’re all adjusting nicely to our new life with our beautiful baby girl, Osteria Fasulo. And Leonardo? Leonardo’s living his dream. He’s finally back in the game. Only this time — it’s my turn to push him up that ladder. Written by Mina Fasulo, Editor in chief Fasulo writes a quarterly column entitled, Up Front, which appears in California Schools Magazine Reprinted with permission: California Schools Magazine — Winter issue, 2003 _________________________________ March 4, 2004 SACRAMENTO — For Immediate Release GOOD EVENING SACRAMENTO UPN-31 TV TAPES LIVE The television foodie crew of "Good Evening Sacramento" (UPN-31) recently paid a dinner visit to Osteria Fasulo in early spring. Foodie extraordinaire and dining diva herself, Peg Tomlinson-Poswall, came to the restaurant to feature the menu LIVE. The UPN-31 TV program aired live that night, where the restaurant and guests served as the backdrop while Peg introduced each of the contemporary and authentic Italian dishes on the Osteria Fasulo menu. She enjoyed everything that came out of the kitchen and gushed about every dish (from the gli antipasti, to the primi, secondi and dolci) that were presented to her and her crew that evening. It was a delight to host this dining diva and quite humbling to the Fasulo family and friends who watched with excitement as the show unfolded, airing LIVE for Sacramento television viewers that night. ______________________________ CAPITOL MORNING REPORT Keeping Up — October 15, 2003 Mina Fasulo, Communications Director and Editor in Chief for the California School Boards Association, and Chef, restaurateur and artist husband, Leonardo from Northern Italy have just announced the opening of their new Italian restaurant — Osteria Fasulo Cibo Italiano — in Davis. It opens tonight! “We’re already booked solid through the weekend so we’re encouraging guests to make reservations as far in advance as possible,” says Fasulo. “We’ll be contemporary and intimate and our menu promises to capture the true Italian spirit of making every meal a special occasion,” Mina tells us. “Our restaurant will be another extension of our family and our home — where we always have good food, good wine and good friends around us.” Incidentally, joked Fasulo (former Chief to Senator Quentin Kopp in the 80’s & 90’s), the restaurant will be politically bi-partisan, “I’m the Dem and Leonardo’s the Rep — we make a great team ‘cause we keep each other on our political toes — no mercy.” Fasulo also tells us that she’ll continue her duties at CSBA but will be around the restaurant quite a bit, when she’s not home being mom to their four boys. Contact the Fasulos at 530.758.1324. NEWS AND NOTES Press Announcement — For Immediate Release October 15, 2003 Contact: Mina Fasulo or Leonardo Fasulo 530.758.1324 Osteria Fasulo — Cibo Italiano Come to Italy, Come to Osteria Fasulo (Davis) — Italy is coming to Davis! Restaurateur and artist, Leonardo Fasulo from Northern Italy and wife, Mina Fasulo have just announced the opening of their new Italian restaurant — Osteria Fasulo Cibo Italiano — in Davis. It opens tonight — October 15, 2003! Osteria Fasulo 2657 Portage Bay East Davis, CA 95616 530.758.1324 “Our restaurant will be another extension of our family and our home — where we always have good food, good wine and good friends around us,” says Leonardo Fasulo. “We’ll be contemporary and intimate and our menu will capture the Italian spirit of making every meal a special occasion,” promises Mina Fasulo. They’ve hired Executive Chef, Adam Walsworth, who trained under Albert Hall of the popular Hacienda del Sol in Tucson, AZ and later helped open Lapis Restaurant in San Francisco & Cascades in Roseville. He most recently served as personal chef to Sacramento Kings Vlade Divac and Bobby Jackson. Walsworth will oversee the kitchen operations and has nothing but praise for his new bosses. “Leonardo is about as Italian as it gets and his wife, Mina is this petite powerhouse — they’re the dynamic duo! Together they have an amazing passion for food, art and wine and Leonardo has a true vision that he’s brought to life at the restaurant. I’m here to make that vision real in the kitchen because we share the same philosophy when it comes to truly dining,” said Walsworth on a recent Saturday, while he and the Fasulos taste-tested a grilled veal chop, with foie gras and black truffles and a dish of homemade gnocchi with pesto. Leonardo will be visible at the restaurant each night to manage the full operations of the place, but most of all he’ll be there to “ensure that all of our guests experience Italy and what it means to dine Italian at the Fasulo home,” says his wife. Osteria Fasulo invites guests to dine Monday through Saturday, 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm. For more information, to schedule an interview or to make reservations, contact the restaurant at 530.758.1324. TOP